Opposition demands dismissal of AP minister after seizure of Rs 5.5 crore from his car

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, July 16

The Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has slammed the YSR Congress Party government for “hiding facts” about the seizure of Rs 5.5 crore unaccounted money allegedly from Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy’s car by the Tamil Nadu Police in Thiruvallur district on Tuesday.

The vehicle was on its way to Chennai from Ongole in Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP has alleged that the Rs 5.5 crore seized in cash belongs to Balineni Srinivasa Reddy since the car from which the money was recovered had a sticker saying “MLA” on it. Reddy has since said that someone made a fake sticker with his details.

Hitting out at the YSR Congress government, TDP leader Nara Lokesh in a tweet asked, “Does the government, which prides itself on seizing liquor coming from other states, have the guts to catch illicit money moving to neighbouring states?”

TDP leader Bonda Uma alleged that the seized money “could have been collected from sand or liquor mafia” and demanded that a judicial enquiry should be launched in the case to bring out the facts.

Uma said the AP Government owed an explanation to the people. Why it is keeping silent on such a serious matter when the whole of Tamil Nadu and national media are giving reports on the AP Minister’s involvement in illegal transportation of cash, asked Uma.

Meanwhile, reacting to the matter, Minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy said, “It has been brought to my notice that last night a car which had a sticker bearing my name was caught on way to Chennai with crores of cash. I have nothing do with the vehicle, the people in it or the money in the car. It has a Tamil Nadu registration. I have seen media reports which suggest that it is my car. Someone has misused a photocopy of the sticker.”

He said he had requested the investigating agencies to initiate a “full-fledged probe” into the matter and take strict action “against those involved in the transportation of black money”.

Meanwhile, a letter has also surfaced where a jeweller has claimed that the seized cash belongs to him and that he has valid documents to prove it.

Uma expressed concern that lots more cash might have been already illegally transported to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana. He alleged that the ruling party mafia was hiding money in secret places in other states.